Methods and systems for managing inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a product

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for managing inventory, including one or more devices, such as computers or other terminal devices and/or computer systems, for managing inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a product. The system and method may include features for receiving the same or similar information associated with a plurality of products from a manufacturer, a distributor, and/or a consumer or other user, and associating various information, such as product location, quantity, and/or condition information with the products via one or more RFID devices operating at a plurality of frequencies, at any one or more locations, by any one or more devices, during the product lifecycle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/726,635, filed Sep. 4, 2018. The disclosure of the priorityapplication is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methodsfor managing inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of aproduct.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

This background and summary are provided to introduce a selection ofconcepts in a simplified form that are further described below in theDETAILED DESCRIPTION. This background and summary are not intended toidentify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedto be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are frequently used toidentify and track objects. For example, RFID tags may be attached toany object that may be tracked. RFID tags may uniquely identify theirhost object using a pre-programmed tag identifier (TID), which may be aunique serial number assigned by the chip manufacturer, and the RFIDtags may include a memory bank to store the items' unique trackingidentifier, such as an electronic product code (EPC).

Common types of RFID tags include low frequency (LF), high frequency(HF) RFID tags and ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tags. LF RFID tagsgenerally operate at a frequency of about 30 KHz to 300 KHz, and mayonly be scanned by a reader within extremely close proximity to the LFRFID tag, e.g., approximately less than 10 cm. HF RFID tags generallyoperate at a frequency of about 3 to 30 MHz, and may only be scanned bya reader within close proximity to the HF RFID tag, e.g., approximatelybetween 10 cm and 1 m. UHF RFID tags generally operate at a frequency ofabout 300 MHz to 3 GHz, and may be scanned from a greater distance thanHF RFID tags, i.e., a distance of up to approximately 12 m. Inventorytracking systems may be based on LF RFID tags, HF RFID tags or UHF RFIDtags, for example. When implementing an inventory system, designers mayconsider among factors:

1) Do the tags need to be scanned over a greater distance?

2) How will the RFID tags be used, e.g., will they be placed nearliquids, metals, carbon substances, temperature conditions, or otherdielectric and conducting objects?

3) How much data storage is required in the memory onboard the RFIDtags?

4) How many RFID tags need to be scanned at one time?

5) Will the RFID tags be located near high amounts of ElectromagneticInterference (EMI), such as EMI emitted by motors, robots on assemblylines, conveyors with nylon belts, etc.

6) Do the RFID tags need to be capable of faster data transfer?

7) How much power usage is required?

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods formanaging inventory. Such systems and methods may include one or moredevices, such as one or more computers or other terminal devices and/orcomputer systems for managing inventory through the supply chain andlifecycle of a product. The system may include features for receivingfirst identification information of an RFID tag read at a first locationvia one or more of a plurality of RFID protocols, receivingcharacteristic information, such as product name, serial number, and/ordescription from a manufacturer, a distributor, and/or a consumer, amongother information, and associating the characteristic information withthe first identification information. The system may further includefeatures for receiving second identification information of the RFID tagread at a second location via a different one or more of the pluralityof RFID protocols, receiving additional characteristic informationobtained from a different manufacturer, distributor, and/or consumer,and based on a correlation between the second identification informationand the first identification information, associating the additionalcharacteristic information with the first identification information.

Additional advantages and novel features of these aspects will be setforth in part in the description that follows, and in part will becomemore apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing or upon learning by practice of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed to be characteristic of implementations ofthe disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. In the descriptionsthat follow, like parts are marked throughout the specification anddrawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures arenot necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures may be shown inexaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity andconciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred modeof use, further features and advances thereof, will be best understoodby reference to the following detailed description of illustrativeimplementations of the disclosure when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network for managing inventory through thesupply chain and lifecycle of a product in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2A illustrates various features of an example dual frequency RFIDtag for use in conjunction with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B illustrates various features of example dual frequency RFID tagsfor use in conjunction with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates various features of an example supply chain for usein conjunction with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate example stand-alone reader devices for use inconjunction with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 10-16 illustrate example RFID tags for use in conjunction withaspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17A illustrates a flowchart of one example implementation formanaging inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a productin accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17B illustrates a flowchart for another example implementation formanaging inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a productin accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 illustrates various features of an example computer system foruse in conjunction with aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 19 illustrates a block diagram of various example systemcomponents, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein.The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components thatfall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation.The examples are not intended to be limiting.

A “processor,” as used herein, processes signals and performs generalcomputing and arithmetic functions. Signals processed by the processormay include digital signals, data signals, computer instructions,processor instructions, messages, a bit, a bit stream, or othercomputing that may be received, transmitted and/or detected.

A “bus,” as used herein, refers to an interconnected architecture thatis operably connected to transfer data between computer componentswithin one or more systems. The bus may be a memory bus, a memorycontroller, a peripheral bus, an external bus, a crossbar switch, and/ora local bus, among others. The bus may also be a bus that interconnectscomponents inside a system using protocols, such as Controller Areanetwork (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), among others.

A “memory,” as used herein may include volatile memory and/ornon-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include, for example, ROM(read only memory), PROM (programmable read only memory), EPROM(erasable PROM) and EEPROM (electrically erasable PROM). Volatile memorymay include, for example, RAM (random access memory), synchronous RAM(SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rateSDRAM (DDR SDRAM), and/or direct RAM bus RAM (DRRAM).

An “operable connection,” as used herein may include a connection bywhich entities are “operably connected,” is one in which signals,physical communications, and/or logical communications may be sentand/or received. An operable connection may include a physicalinterface, a data interface and/or an electrical interface.

Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure provide systemsand methods for managing inventory through the supply chain andlifecycle of a product. For instance, an example system in accordancewith aspects of the present disclosure may provide for seamlessvisibility of products flowing from supply chain to consumption. Thisvisibility may be achieved using a dual frequency RFID tag that mayprovide analytics and insights into the supply chain and lifecycle ofproducts tagged with the dual frequency RFID tag, among other features.Additionally, the example system may track a variety of products fromvarious origins and points of entry into the system having a variety ofRFID tag types affixed to the products. That is, the system may trackproducts having any one of a combination of LF RFID tags, HF RFID tags,and/or UHF RFID tags. Furthermore, the example system may dynamicallyand automatically adapt to various product types, tags, and readerenvironments, among other features, in order to facilitate seamlessinventory tracking and reporting. Types of products that may be managedthrough the supply chain and lifecycle may include, for example, medicalequipment, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumable goods, and thelike.

RFID tags are frequently used to identify and track objects. Forexample, RFID tags may be attached to any suitable object that may betracked. RFID tags, interchangeably referred to herein as “tags,”generally take the form of integrated circuits, with associatedantennas, that have computer readable memory that may be encoded withidentification information, such as a unique serial number (USN), whichmay also be referred to interchangeably herein as a uniqueidentification number, unique digital identifier, universal identifier,or “UID.” Identification information, such as a UID, may be burned intoa read-only memory of the tag at the time the tag is manufactured toensure that each tag has a unique serial number. However, in accordancewith some aspects of the disclosure, the UID may be changed, edited orprovided with additional information. The identification information mayinclude information about the tag itself, such as the manufacturer ofthe tag, date of manufacture, lot number, tag configuration, etc.Typically, when an RFID tag is interrogated, the tag responds byemitting a data signal that includes the tag's UID, which is captured bythe reader.

The UID typically is or includes a number that does not alone containcharacteristics of the tag or an object with which the tag isassociated. However, characteristic information may be associated withthe UID in a database, such that the UID may be used to accessinformation about the tag and/or an object associated with the tag. Thecharacteristic information may also include information about an objectassociated with the tag, such as an individual product on which the tagis affixed. This characteristic information may include any informationabout the item, such as a product serial number, name, product code,description, manufacturer, date of manufacture, lot number, features,capabilities, expiration date, whether the item has been refurbished,etc. Additionally, the characteristic information may include eventinformation, such as a date and time a tag was read, the type andlocation of the reader that read the tag, a status indicator (such as anindication that the tag or an associated object is in storage or use orhas been consumed), etc.

Characteristic information may be stored in a memory of the tag itself,but typically may be stored in a database separate from the tag suchthat the characteristic information may be accessible at any timewithout having to contemporaneously read the information directly fromthe tag. For example, the characteristic information may be stored in adatabase of an inventory management system, a manufacturer system, adistributor system, and/or a consumer system, among other systems, asdescribed in in detail below, so that such information may be accessed,processed, and updated, along with characteristic information aboutother tags, for example. The inventory management system, themanufacturer system, the distributor system, and/or the consumer system,as described in in detail below, may use a set of UIDs read from tags ata specific inventory location to determine what products and whatquantities of each product type are on-hand at that location, forexample.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network for managing inventory through thesupply chain and lifecycle of a product in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure. For example, a network may include amanufacturer system 110, a distributor system 120, a consumer system130, and an inventory management system 140. For example, network 100may be used to facilitate communications among multiple systems,including the manufacturer system 110, the distributor system 120, theconsumer system 130, and the inventory management system 140. In someimplementations, some or all of the systems may be in a single generalphysical location or may be in or include one or more remote locations(e.g., be cloud based). For example, the manufacturer system 110, thedistributor system 120, and the consumer system 130 may be located indifferent or the same physical locations, and the inventory managementsystem 140 may be located in the cloud, and accessed by users atdifferent locations, as shown with respect to FIG. 19, and described inconjunction therewith. In some implementations, the network 100 mayinclude the Internet or another Internet Protocol (IP) based network.The manufacturer system 110, the distributor system 120, the consumersystem 130, and the inventory management system 140 may include one ormore computer systems, which may include one or more terminals havingvarious features as shown with respect to FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, forexample, and described in conjunction therewith. In someimplementations, the manufacturer system 110, the distributor system120, the consumer system 130, and the inventory management system 140may also include a memory that stores instructions for executingprocesses for managing inventory through the supply chain and lifecycleof a product, and a processor configured to execute the instructions.

In another aspect of the disclosure, each of the manufacturer system110, the distributor system 120, and the consumer system 130 maycomprise separate and discrete databases or other data repositories,which may comprise the UID correlated with characteristic information.Each of databases/data repositories 110, 120 and 130 may be or include aprivate database and may be accessible only to the specific systemcollecting, managing, and maintaining the database. For example, asdescribed above, the manufacturer system 110 may collect informationfrom tags scanned during the manufacturing process, such as UID 12345,which may be attached to a biopsy device with serial number XXX. Forexample, as described above, the consumer system 130 may collectinformation from tags scanned during use and placement at a facility,such as UID 12345, which may be located in location Z at time 08:01 AM.In another aspect of the disclosure, some or all of the manufacturersystem 110, the distributor system 120, and the consumer system 130 mayallow data sharing and access to the inventory management system 140.For example, the inventory management system 140 may query themanufacturer system 110 to obtain the data that indicates UID 12345 isattached to a biopsy device with serial number XXX, and then may querythe consumer system 130 to obtain the additional data that indicatesthat UID 12345 was located at location Z the last time it was scanned,at 08:01 AM.

In some implementations, as described above through the database sharingexample, the inventory management system 140 may track one or moreproducts tagged with an RFID tag through the supply chain. For example,the supply chain may include various activities, phases and/or featuresin the product lifecycle, including for example, manufacturing,packaging, transportation, distribution, inventory, consumption, anddisposal, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Each of these activities, phases,and/or features of the supply chain may be associated with a location orfeature equipped with one or more different types of RFID readerdevices. Some examples of RFID readers include handheld scanners forusers to scan locations, fixed scanners located within a device to scanspecific locations, and fixed scanners within large locations to scanlarge locations. In order to afford compatibility with a number ofdifferent types of RFID reader devices, a number of different types ofRFID tags, and/or a number of different operating environments, theproducts may be tracked using multiple different RFID protocols, therebyenabling seamless item-level identification and management/tracking ofthe products throughout the supply chain, for example. The differentRFID protocols generally use one or more frequency bands, which may bereferred to generally as LF, HF, and UHF. As used herein and unlessotherwise indicated, the term “dual frequency” refers to two or moreRFID protocols, each of which may implement different or overlappingfrequency bands. Thus, the term “dual frequency” encompasses “trifrequency” and “multiple frequency.” The term “dual frequency RFID tag”thus refers to a tag that is capable of communicating via at least twoRFID protocols and may additionally be capable of communicating via athird RFID protocol and/or additional numbers of RFID protocols. Forexample, a dual frequency RFID tag may communicate via both a first RFIDprotocol that implements a HF frequency band and a second RFID protocolthat implements an UHF frequency band. In addition to the HF RFIDprotocol and the UHF RFID protocol, the dual frequency RFID tag maycommunicate via a third RFID protocol that implements a LF frequencyband. Some example protocols may be ISO 14443, ISO 15693, ISO 18000-3,ISO 1800-6C, and ISO-24730. Additionally, near-field communication (NFC)protocols may also be implemented. The inventory management system 140described herein may thus provide, for example, an integrated,end-to-end solution for RFID compatibility throughout the supply chainand lifecycle of any tagged product from any point of entry to any pointof exit. As described in more detail below, the RFID tags and the UIDprovided therein may be “read,” by implementing the protocols of the oneor more frequency bands, UHF, HF and/or LF via a RFID reader.

There are two main types of RFID systems, active RFID systems andpassive RFID systems. In active RFID systems, the RFID tags may havetheir own transmitter and power source, for example, a battery. ActiveRFID tags may broadcast their own signal to transmit information storedon their microchips, as described above, to RFID readers, for example.Further, there are two main types of active tags: transponders andbeacons. Transponders may be “woken up” when they receive a radio signalfrom a RFID reader, and then may power on and respond by transmitting asignal back to the RFID reader. Unlike transponders, beacons are notpowered on by the RFID reader's signal. Instead, beacons may emitsignals at pre-set intervals. For example, depending on the level oflocating accuracy required by a system, beacons may be set to emitsignals every few seconds, once a day, or at any other time interval.Each beacon's signal may be received by RFID reader antennas, and maycommunicate the RFID tag's ID information and position. In passive RFIDsystems, the RFID reader and the RFID reader antenna may send a radiosignal to the RFID tag. The RFID tag may then use the received signalfrom the RFID reader to power on and reflect energy back to the reader.Passive RFID systems can operate in the LF, HF, or UHF radio bands.Passive RFID tags do not require a power source or transmitter, and onlyrequire a tag chip and antenna. Passive RFID tags may be packaged inmany different ways, as described below, depending on the specific RFIDapplication requirements. For example, passive RFID tags may be mountedon a substrate, or sandwiched between an adhesive layer and a paperlabel. Passive RFID tags may also be embedded in a variety of devices orpackages to make the tag resistant to extreme temperatures or harshchemicals, among other things.

In order to track a product throughout the supply chain, a product oritem may be tagged with a dual frequency RFID tag. In someimplementations, the dual frequency RFID tag may be provided to theproduct's manufacturer by a purveyor of the inventory management system140. For example, the dual frequency RFID tag may be applied by themanufacturer to a product using an applicator device that may uniquelyregister or position the dual frequency RFID tag onto a specificlocation on a package during affixation. In another aspect of thedisclosure, the dual frequency RFID tag may be provided by the purveyorof the inventory management system 140, and the tag may be affixed tothe product at any point in the product's life cycle, for example, atthe distributor, consumer site, etc. This process of affixing andregistering the dual frequency RFID tag may be conducted via one or moreof the systems shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, as described in more detailbelow. In some implementations, this attachment operation may beachieved using an edge guide or a corner stop, for example, to align theapplicator device, and hence the dual frequency RFID tag, to thepackage. In some implementations, the dual frequency RFID tag may beapplied to a packaged product rather than the physical product itself atany time during the product's life circle.

As described above, in some implementations, the dual frequency RFID tagthat is provided by the purveyor of the inventory management system 140,may be applied to the product itself or the packaging of the productduring any point in the product's lifecycle. In one aspect of thedisclosure, the dual frequency RFID tag may be applied at any pointduring the manufacture process, the distribution process, and/or theconsumer process. Upon affixing the dual frequency RFID tag to theproduct or packaging of the product, the dual frequency RFID tag may beread by an RFID reader, which obtains a UID, and the UID may beregistered in a respective database, along with other characteristicinformation. For example, if a dual frequency RFID tag is registeredduring the manufacturing process, the RFID tag's UID may be registeredat the manufacturer system 110. As described above, each system 110,120, 130 may contain its own database, and each may be implemented withdifferent RFID readers operating on different frequencies, for example.In one aspect of the disclosure, the dual frequency RFID tag supplied bythe purveyor of the inventory management system 140, may provide tagscomprising at least one frequency band for which the affixer andregistrar have equipment for interaction. For example, the manufacturermay have RFID readers that operate only on the UHF band, and thedistributor may have RFID readers that operate only on the LF band.Thus, the purveyor may supply dual frequency RFID tags to themanufacturer for affixing and registration that comprise RFID elementsthat operate on the LF band and the UHF band. To this end, themanufacturer of the product may affix the dual frequency RFID tag andregister the RFID tag UID, for example 9876, to the manufacturer system110 using UHF RFID readers. As described above, the database maycorrelate the UID read from the RFID element in the UHF range withadditional characteristic information provided by the RFID reader, andstore this additional characteristic information in the database alongwith the UID. For example, the manufacturer system 110 may store UID9876 as a catheter.

Further, the distributor may obtain the product from the manufacturerand may be able to read the same dual frequency RFID tag comprising thesame UID 9876 through the use of a LF RFID reader. Further, as describedabove, the distributor system 120 database may correlate the UID readfrom the RFID element in the LF range with additional characteristicinformation provided by the RFID reader, and store this additionalcharacteristic information in the database along with the UID 9876. Forexample, the distributor system may store UID 9876 as being received at06:07 PM on Jan. 1, 2019.

As described in the example above, although the distributor system 120may not have access to the manufacturer system 110 containing thedatabase with the UID and the additional characteristic information, thedistributor system may register the UID 9876 in the distributor system120 containing its own database. As described below, each discretedatabase stored on a respective system may or may not be shared amongsystems 110, 120, 130 and 140, or may only be shared from 110, 120,and/or 130 with system 140.

In one aspect of an example implementation in accordance with aspects ofthe disclosure, for example, the manufacturer system 110 that registeredand stored UID 9876 as a catheter may communicate with distributorsystem 120. Upon receipt of the product by the distributor from themanufacturer, the dual frequency RFID tag comprising the same UID 9876is read through the use of a LF RFID reader. The distributor system 120may query manufacturer system 110 and determine that UID 9876 isregistered as a catheter. The distributor system may, for example,register UID 9876 in the distributor system 120 database as a catheterthat was received and had its tag read at 06:07 PM on Jan. 1, 2019. Inanother example, distributor system may, for example, update UID 9876 inthe manufacturer system 110 database as being received and had its tagread at the distributor at 06:07 PM on Jan. 1, 2019.

In another aspect of the disclosure, each system 110, 120 and 130 maycommunicate with each other and/or with inventory management system 140.For example the manufacturer system 110 may register and store UID 9876as a catheter in its database of the manufacturer system 110, but alsocommunicate that information to the database of inventory managementsystem 140. Upon receipt of the physical product by the distributor fromthe manufacturer, the dual frequency RFID tag comprising the same UID9876 may be read, as described above, and the distributor system 120 mayquery the inventory management system 140 and determine that UID 9876 isregistered as a catheter. The distributor system may, for example,register UID 9876 in the distributor system 120 database as a catheterthat was received and read at 06:07 PM on Jan. 1, 2019. In anotherexample, the distributor system 120 may, for example, update UID 9876 inthe inventory management system 140 database as being received at thedistributor at 06:07 PM on Jan. 1, 2019. Thus, each system 110, 120 and130 may, for example, locally store its own data in a database withoutinteraction, locally store its own data in a database with data sharingenabled among systems, locally store in its own database with datasharing among systems with editability, or locally store its own data ina database and share data with the inventory management system 140, etc.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the UID or any information/datacontained on the RFID element may be the same or may be different amongRFID elements operating at different frequencies of the dual frequencyRFID tag. For example, as described below, RFID elements operating atdifferent frequencies may comprise additional data blocks based uponindustry standards. In one aspect of the disclosure, although each RFIDelement may comprise a different number of data blocks, each RFIDelement may still contain at least the same UID. For example, an UHFRFID element may comprise additional data blocks and thus may containdata XXX12345 (where the UID data is 12345), while LF RFID element maycomprise less data blocks and thus may contain only the UID data 12345.In another aspect of the disclosure, as described below, the additionaldata blocks may provide additional information in conjunction with theUID, for example, the specific name or identity of the manufacturer ofthe product, whether the product has been refurbished, whether theproduct needs to be maintained at a specific temperature, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, one example dual frequency RFID tag 205 mayinclude, for example, a HF RFID element 210 and an UHF RFID element 215,as shown. Additionally, the dual frequency RFID tag 205 may also includea LF RFID element, not shown. Any combination of the LF, HF and/or UHFelements may be implemented in the dual frequency RFID tag 205. In someimplementations, the HF element 210 and the UHF element 215 may beencapsulated within the same tag. In some implementations, the LFelement and the UHF element 215 may be encapsulated within the same tag.In some implementations, the HF element 210 and the LF element may beencapsulated within the same tag. In some implementations, the HFelement 210, the UHF element 215 and the LF element may be encapsulatedwithin the same tag. In other implementations, the LF element, the HFelement 210 and the UHF element 215 may be encoded with the sameidentification (e.g., UID) number, such that only one of the elementsneeds be read at any location or point in time in order to identify thetagged product. For example, the HF element 210 may include a sixteen(16) digit memory bank that may be encoded with a product identifier,whereas the UHF element 215 may include a twenty-four (24) digit memorybank that may be encoded with the same 16 digit product identifier asthe HF element 210, while also affording 8 additional digits that can beencoded uniquely during production. For example, the UHF element 215 maybe encoded with additional information, such as specification of thesupplier of the tag (e.g., for authentication or source traceability),the customer that purchased the tag, any characteristics correspondingto the production of the tag, etc. As further examples, the 8 additionaldigits may be encoded with information indicating the cold-chainintegrity of a product, e.g., for tags usable for cold-chainenvironments, whereby the encoded information indicates that thatproduct is temperature-sensitive and/or requires special handling orrouting, authenticity information, e.g., a distributor of the product, avintage of the tag, e.g., when and who manufactured the tag, and owneridentity of the tag, e.g., an entity to which that tag was allocated toor procured from. In some instances, the additional 8 digits may beencoded at the beginning of the lifecycle of the tag and remain inpermanent tag memory, as will be understood by those of ordinary skillin the relevant arts. In some instances, the additional 8 digits may beencoded or changed at different points of the lifecycle ascharacteristics of the product may change. For example, the 8 digits mayindicate the product was previously used, partially used, refurbished,etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, one example dual frequency RFID tag 205 mayinclude, for example, an HF RFID element 210 and an UHF RFID element215, as shown. Additionally, the dual frequency RFID tag 205 may alsoinclude a LF RFID element (not shown in FIG. 2A). Any combination of theLF, HF. And/or UHF elements may be implemented in the dual frequencyRFID tag 205. In some implementations, the HF element 210 and the UHFelement 215 may be encapsulated within the same tag. In someimplementations, the LF element and the UHF element 215 may beencapsulated within the same tag. In some implementations, the HFelement 210 and the LF element may be encapsulated within the same tag.In some implementations, the HF element 210, the UHF element 215, andthe LF element may be encapsulated within the same tag. In otherimplementations, the LF element, the HF element 210 and the UHF element215 may be encoded with the same identification (e.g., UID) number, suchthat only one of the elements needs be read at any location or point intime in order to identify the tagged product. For example, the HFelement 210 may include a sixteen (16) digit memory block that may beencoded with a product identifier, whereas the UHF element 215 mayinclude a twenty-four (24) digit memory block that may be encoded withthe same 16 digit product identifier as the HF element 210, whileaffording 8 additional digits that can be encoded uniquely duringproduction, per the discussion above.

In some implementations, one or more notifications may be generatedbased on information extracted from the dual frequency RFID tag 205. Forexample, in some implementations, the additional 8 digits of the UHFelement 215 may be encoded with information relevant to inventorymanagement and tracking, which may be used, for example, to trigger anotification. For example, the notification may be or include anonscreen popup in real-time on a user-interface (UI) of an RFID reader,such as a mobile RFID reader, as described in accordance with FIG. 18and FIG. 19 below, or a status message connected to a line item of aninventory management system 140, which may be displayed on a UI of acomputing device, such as a mobile device, laptop, tabletop, or desktopcomputer, server, etc. as described in accordance with FIG. 18 and FIG.19 below. Alternatively, or additionally, the notification may begenerated in response to the absence of correct or interpretableinformation with regard to the 8 additional digits. For example, thenotification may be generated when the 8 additional digits indicate thatthe tag/product was not distributed by a given distributor or does notbelong to a given consumer, despite its presence at such location.Alternatively, or additionally, the notification may be generated when atagged product may be at risk, and as such, should be returned to themanufacturer or destroyed, for example. In further aspects, theadditional 8 digits may be used to encode information to be stored by aninventory management system 140 and provided to a user in an inventoryreport that may be generated periodically, e.g., daily, weekly, monthly,or as requested by the user.

In some implementations, the systems 110, 120, 130 and 140 and theirrespective databases may store the information encoded on each of the LFelement, the HF element 210, and/or the UHF element 215, as well asinterpret the information encoded in the additional digits of the UHFelement 215. For example, the UHF element 215 may be used to registerindividual items into the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1),including data unique to each item, such as chain of custody, uniqueserial number, item expiration date, a shape of the tag, e.g.,rectangular or square, a product brand, and/or a customer identifier.

In some implementations, the dual frequency RFID tag 205 may bemanufactured using a material and/or adhesive that is capable ofwithstanding various environments, such as a range of temperaturesettings. For example, the material and/or adhesive may be suitable fora cold-storage environment, e.g., suitable for sustained operation inbelow-freezing and/or frosty environments. In addition or alternatively,the material and/or adhesive may be suitable for a hot-storageenvironment, e.g., suitable for sustained operation in high temperatureenvironments.

In further implementations, the dual frequency RFID tag 205 may bemanufactured using various form factors, while still containing at leasttwo of the LF element, the HF element 210 and the UHF element 215. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the HF element 210 may be locatedabove the UHF element 215, as shown. Additionally, the dual frequencyRFID tag 205 in FIG. 2A is shown as rectangular in shape. However, itshould be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that theseshapes and orientations are merely examples of the HF element 210 andthe UHF element 215, as well as those of the dual frequency RFID tag205, and that other locations and/or shapes may be achieved based on theform factors of the dual frequency RFID tag 205, for example. In someimplementations, the HF element 210 and UHF element 215 may beoverlapped together into a flat tag, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.For example, FIG. 2B illustrates a plurality of example dual frequencyRFID tags 205, with the HF element 210 a and the UHF element 215 b ofeach dual frequency RFID tag being represented as a rectangle. In someimplementations, the dual frequency RFID tag 205 may be a foldable tag.For example, the dual frequency RFID tag 205-1 may be folded 90 degrees,as shown in FIG. 2B, in order to wrap around an edge or corner of apackage, as well as for use in other applications. As another example,the dual frequency RFID tags 205-2, 205-3 may be folded 180 degrees,such that the HF element 210 and the UHF element 215 may overlap, whilealso having a small offset. For example, this approach may allow thelonger end to be affixed to a package with the shorter end extendinglike a flag, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. In some implementations,the foldable dual frequency RFID tags 205-1, 205-2, 205-3 mayimprove/ensure readability of either, or both of, the HF element 210 andthe UHF element 215, such as where either element may be obstructed frombeing read by the presence of, for example, conductive material on or ina package, or by an adjacent package. For example, some medical suppliesmay be packaged in foil pouches in order to preserve light-sensitivityor sterilization, and such foil packaging may obstruct or distortcertain RFID tags or portions thereof. In another example, the RFID tag205 may be shaped such that it may be used in a hanging storage system,for example, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/258,847, filed on Oct. 27, 2008, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,174,392, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in theirentirety. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill inthe art that the elements described above may be any combination of theLF element, the HF element, and/or the UHF element.

In some implementations, the dual frequency (or multi-frequency) RFIDtag 205 may be manufactured onto an optically transparent material, inconjunction with a clear adhesive on its surface, in order to notvisibly interfere with other apparent markings on the item, material, orpackaging to which the tag may be attached. Additionally, the clear oroptically transparent material may comprise any portion of the area orthe entire area of the tag, in any suitable shape. FIGS. 14, 15, and 16show an example combined implementation of an RFID tag having a clearsurface comprising a portion of the tag with adhesive for affixing thetag, in conjunction with the HF and UHF elements protruding similarly toa flag.

In further implementations, the dual frequency RFID tag (e.g., tag 205of FIG. 2A) may be manufactured using invisible printed markings, suchas further to provide an invisible barcode or other optical readingfeature, which may be visible only to machine barcode or other opticalreading systems. In this way, for example, the dual frequency RFID tag205 may be further read by such systems without visible interferencewith other markings on the device to which the tag 205 is attached.Additionally, in further implementations, the dual frequency RFID tag205 may be manufactured using a transparent material, e.g., transparentconductive ink applied to a transparent carrier film.

In some implementations, one or more products may be tracked through thesupply chain from the manufacturer to the distributor to the consumer.For instance, using the UHF element 215, the manufacturer system 110(FIG. 1) may scan the one or more tagged products, such as when the oneor more products move through a manufacturing facility to a loading areafor shipment. In some implementations, upon scanning the tagged productsusing, for example, a gate scanner, the manufacturer system 110 (FIG. 1)may retrieve data information stored on the UHF element 215 and transmitsuch information to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1). Inturn, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may store theinformation obtained from the UHF element 215 when the product isshipped by the manufacturer. Upon receipt of the tagged products fromthe manufacturer, the distributor or the consumer or other user maylikewise scan the tagged products using a gate scanner, for example, andtransmit the collected information to the inventory management system140 (FIG. 1). For example, the gate scanner may allow for bulk scanningof the plurality of tagged products, thereby avoiding scanning ofindividual products, as should be understood by those of ordinary skillin the arts. Using this information, the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1) may compare the information received from the manufacturersystem 110 (FIG. 1) to the information received from the distributorsystem 120 (FIG. 1) or the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1), for example, toverify that the products match, e.g., to determine if there are anydiscrepancies between what was shipped by the manufacturer and what wasreceived by the distributor or consumer. By scanning the UHF elements ofthe tagged products using, for example, a gate scanner, the manufacturersystem 110 (FIG. 1), distributor system 120 (FIG. 1), and consumersystem 130 (FIG. 1) may each quickly identify and gather information onthe tagged products in bulk, rather than having to individually scaneach of the tagged products, as would be required with an HF elementbased scanner configured to scan only a single RFID tag at a time, suchas a near-field communication (NFC) reader of a mobile device.

In further implementations, the UHF element 215 of each product may bescanned to provide for cycle counting, such as while the product isstored in inventory at any one of the manufacturer, distributor, orconsumer. For example, while in inventory, the UHF element 215 of eachproduct may be scanned using a mobile RFID scanner or using anRFID-enabled enclosure, such as a storage shelf, cabinet, cold-storagespace, etc. In some implementations, the RFID-enabled enclosure may beconfigured with RFID reader elements to read either, both of, or all ofthe HF element 210, the UHF element 215, and the LF element, eitherconcurrently or alternatingly. Additionally, by being configured to scanall HF, UHF and LF elements, the RFID-enabled enclosure may beconfigured to allow scanning and storage of variously tagged productshaving only a single RFID protocol or three RFID protocols, e.g., LF, HFand UHF. Furthermore, the RFID-enabled enclosure configured to scan anyof LF, HF and UHF elements may provide for scanning tagged products atany stages within the supply chain and product lifecycle, or forinventories of products for which materials are compatible with LF, HFor UHF elements. For example, as described above, the RFID tags providedby the purveyor of the inventory management system 140 may incorporatedual frequency RFID tags that are compatible with any user/customersystems. For example, the dual frequency RFID tag provided may containRFID elements for UHF and LF, and thus the manufacturer that operates onUHF, the distributor who operates on LF, and the consumer or other userwith RFID readers that operate on any of the three described bands,thereby may all communicate with the dual frequency RFID tag. Further,those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that variousmaterials, such as metal or water, may affect performance of RFIDsystems and hence readability of LF, HF, and/or UHF elements. In someimplementations, the RFID-enabled enclosure may be shielded to attenuateany or all LF signals/HF signals/UHF signals in order to direct scanningtoward the LF tags, HF tags and/or UHF tags.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the product affixed with a dualfrequency RFID tag may be in custody of the consumer or other user andstored within an RFID enabled cabinet reader that is equipped with allthree frequency types of RFID readers, UHF, HF and LF. The dualfrequency RFID tag affixed to the physical product may be equipped witha UHF RFID element and a HF RFID element, thereby having the capabilityto be read by an RFID enabled cabinet. The product may be scanned, asdescribed above, at pre-set intervals, such as every 10 minutes, and theUID of either or both of the UHF and HF RFID elements may be transmittedin conjunction with characteristic data to at least one of systems 110,120, 130 or 140, as described above. In this example, the product may beremoved from the RFID enabled cabinet right after a scan, for example,to be used in a procedure in an operating room where a procedure lastsan hour. Further, because the dual frequency RFID tag is not scanned atthe last known location, the RFID enabled cabinet or the systems mayconsider the product lost/used/unaccounted for during the next 6 scansby the RFID enabled cabinet (as the product is not scanned). In oneaspect of the disclosure, at least one of the systems 110, 120, 130 or140, may place this product on a “watch” list for a pre-determinedamount of time before determining to send a request to find the product,consider the product lost, update inventory, etc. In one aspect of thedisclosure, the product may be scanned with an UHF or HF RFID enabledreader in the operating room to update at least one of systems 110, 120,130 or 140, via its/their respective database(s), indicating that theproduct is now being used or is in the process of being used during theprocedure in the operating room. In another aspect of the disclosure,the product may be only scanned with a LF RFID enabled reader in theoperating room because UHF frequencies may be harmful, such as for apatient having a pacemaker. Because in this example, the specific dualfrequency RFID tag only contains UHF and HF RFID elements, the productmay not be updated in the system to determine its specific location(e.g., operating room). As described above, if the product is on the“watch” list and the product is placed back in the RFID enabled cabinetif not used during the procedure in the operating room the product maybe scanned and updated in the database at the next interval and thentaken off the “watch” list at that point. In the event that the productis placed in a different RFID enabled cabinet if not used during theprocedure, it may be scanned and updated in the database at the nextinterval and taken off the “watch” list at that point. Further, forexample, the product may be scanned by either a tri-band RFID enabledreader at a specific location or a LF RFID enabled reader to update thelocation of the product and taken off the “watch” list in the event theproduct was used during the procedure and is being discarded or sent torefurbishment and scanned before exiting the facility. Finally, theproduct may never be scanned again and considered lost/used/unaccountedbased on extended inclusion on the “watch” list.

In further implementations, after delivery of the tagged products to theconsumer, the LF element and/or HF element 210 of each product may bescanned at close proximity, such as during unpacking of the productsfrom a shipping container (e.g., a carton or a tote), whilecontemporaneously avoiding the scanning and/or identification ofnon-targeted products. Upon scanning each individual product, theconsumer system 130 (FIG. 1) may transmit the information to theinventory management system 140 (FIG. 1). Additionally, while theproducts are stored by the consumer, the LF element, the HF element 210or the UHF element 215 may be scanned by the consumer system 130 (FIG.1), and such information may be transmitted to the inventory managementsystem 140 (FIG. 1). In this way, the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1) is able to monitor each of the products stored by the consumerto determine whether there are missing products, expired products,and/or products near expiration, for example. In some implementations,upon determining that a given product is missing from storage, theinventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may monitor the consumer system130 (FIG. 1) to determine whether the undetected product has been usedby a technician, medical professional, etc. For example, the HF element210 may be scanned to provide for a final disposition of individualproducts at a point-of-sale, a point-of-use, a trash receptacle,entrance/exit of a location, or any other instance when the individualproduct is removed from inventory, and the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1)may report such final disposition to the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1), for example, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/765,950, filed on Jun. 20, 2007, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,281,994, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/383,422,filed on May 15, 2006, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,639,136, and asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/616,630, filed on Nov.11, 2009, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,990,272, the contents ofeach being hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Asresult, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may determinewhether the undetected product has been used or is missing from theoverall inventory. Additionally, the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1) may use this information to, for example, predict inventoryneeds based on use history and maintenance age and other data forinventory items (e.g., to identify expired or out of date items).

In one aspect of the disclosure, a non-handheld RFID reader may stripany additional data blocks obtained when reading the RFID element, asdescribed above with regards to standards, and provide only the UID tothe respective systems, 110, 120, 130, and/or 140. In another aspect ofthe disclosure, a handheld RFID reader may not strip any additional datablocks obtained when reading the RFID element, as described above withregards to RFID standards, and provide the entire contents to therespective systems, 110, 120, 130, and/or 140. The respective systems,110, 120, 130 and/or 140 may remove the additional data blocks prior tostoring/updating the database and/or use the additional data blocks tostore/update the database.

As one example of use, an example system in accordance with aspects ofpresent disclosure may be used to track a medical supply product frompoint of manufacture through to final disposition at the consumer, e.g.,a point-of-use in a patient procedure or other final disposition. Bytracking the medical supply product throughout its lifecycle, theinventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may be used to ensureauthentication/anti-counterfeiting of medical products, compliance withhandling requirements of the medical products, such as chain of custody,temperature, moisture, shock or vibration, etc., allocation of correctitem to correct patient, and billing accuracy of item(s) consumed inmedical procedures. To track the medical supply product through itslifecycle, the medical supply product may be packaged and tagged withthe dual frequency RFID tag 205 (FIG. 2A), and the manufacturer system110 (FIG. 1) may scan the UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A) while the taggedproducts are transported across a manufacturing floor toloading/shipment area, including placement in a carton, a pallet, or acontainer, and after departure from the manufacturer, for example. Inturn, the manufacturer system 110 (FIG. 1) may report the informationrelated to the tagged and scanned products to the inventory managementsystem 140 (FIG. 1). In some implementations, the UHF element 215 (FIG.2A) may be scanned while the tagged products are in transit to, forexample, the distributor or the consumer, and this information may betransmitted to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1).Additionally, after receipt at either the distributor or the consumer,the UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A) of the tagged products may be scannedduring an unloading period, and the information may again be transmittedto the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) via either thedistributor system 120 (FIG. 1) or the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1), forexample. Using this information, the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1) may analyze the data to determine if there are anydiscrepancies between the products shipped by the manufacturer and theproducts received by the distributor or the consumer. In someimplementations, the tagged products may be temporarily stored orrepackaged at the distributor system, and during such time, the UHFelement 215 (FIG. 2A), the LF element, and/or the HF element 210 (FIG.2A) may be scanned and reported to the inventory management system 140(FIG. 1), such that the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) maycontinue to track the products throughout the supply chain.

In further implementations, when the tagged products are shipped fromthe distributor, for example, the tagged products may again be scannedin a similar manner as shipment from the manufacturer. When the taggedproducts are delivered to the consumer, the UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A) ofthe tagged products may be scanned during unloading, and the informationmay again be transmitted to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1)via the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1). Using this information, theinventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may analyze the data todetermine if there are any discrepancies between the products shipped bythe distributor and the products received by the consumer.

Additionally, the tagged products may be stored, for example, in astorage room, an RFID-enabled storage shelf, cabinet, or cold-storagespace, etc., until needed. Additionally, while the products are storedby the consumer, the LF element, the HF element 210 (FIG. 2A) and/or theUHF element 215 (FIG. 2A) may be scanned by the consumer system 130(FIG. 1), and such information may be transmitted to the inventorymanagement system 140 (FIG. 1). In this way, the inventory managementsystem 140 (FIG. 1) may able to monitor each of the products stored bythe consumer to determine whether there are missing products, expiredproducts, and/or products near expiration, for example. In someimplementations, upon determining that a given product is missing fromstorage, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may monitor theconsumer system 130 (FIG. 1) to determine whether the undetected producthas been used by a technician, medical professional, etc. For example,the HF element 210 (FIG. 2A) may be scanned to provide for a finaldisposition of individual products, such as when the tagged products areplaced into a kit or cart for use in, for example, an operating roomprocedure, assigned to a patient, and then consumed, returned to stock,sent to another location, e.g., sent to another consumer, disposed intrash, sent for refurbishment, or returned to manufacturer system 110(FIG. 1), if unused. The consumer system 130 (FIG. 1) may report suchfinal disposition to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1), whichmay then determine whether the undetected product has been used or ismissing from the overall inventory. Additionally, the inventorymanagement system 140 (FIG. 1) may use this information to, for example,predict inventory needs based on use history and maintain age and otherdata for inventory items (e.g., to identify expired or out of dateitems).

As another example, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may beused to track a cold-chain product, such as a human skin graft. Forexample, the cold-chain product may be harvested, packaged, and taggedwith a dual frequency RFID tag 205 (FIG. 2A). Much like the medicalsupply product, the cold-chain product may tracked during shipment usingthe UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A), and registered by the inventorymanagement system 140 (FIG. 1) using the LF element, the HF element 210(FIG. 2A) and/or the UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A). Once registered, thecold-chain product may then be stored in an UHF RFID enabled freezer, aHF RFID enabled freezer, or a HF/UHF RFID enabled freezer. In this way,the cold-chain product may be tracked with the LF element prior to beingplaced into a freezer, and the HF element 210 (FIG. 2A) or the UHFelement 215 (FIG. 2A) may be used while being stored. Namely, the LFelement, the HF element 210 (FIG. 2A) or the UHF element 215 (FIG. 2A)of the cold-chain product may be scanned by the consumer system 130(FIG. 1), and such information may be transmitted to the inventorymanagement system 140 (FIG. 1). When the cold-chain product is requiredfor use, such as a surgical transplant, and removed from the freezer, aLF, HF and/or UHF reader may be used to scan the cold-chain product, andthis may be reported to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1).Thus, the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1) may report to the inventorymanagement system 140 (FIG. 1) that the cold-chain product has beenremoved from inventory and assigned to a scheduled procedure.Furthermore, while the cold-chain product is being delivered to point offinal disposition, e.g., an operating room, the UHF element 215 (FIG.2A) of the cold-chain product may scanned using one or more UHF readersin corridors of the facility of the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1), suchthat the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may monitor the chainof custody of the cold-chain product. Upon to the point of finaldisposition, the LF element and/or the HF element 210 (FIG. 2A) of thecold-chain product may be scanned, and the consumer system 130 (FIG. 1)may report to the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) that thecold-chain product has been finally disposed.

Aspects of the present disclosure are also directed to a stand-alonereader device that may include a LF reader element, a HF reader element,a UHF reader element, and a barcode scanner (BCS) or other opticalreader element (such scanners and readers interchangeably referred toherein as “BCS element”), as illustrated in FIGS. 4-9. In someimplementations, the stand-alone reader may send information collectedwhen scanning the dual frequency RFID tag, or any other RFID tag orbarcode/other optical element, to the inventory management system 140.In some implementations, as shown in FIGS. 4-9, the stand-alone readermay be configured such that the LF, HF, UHF, and BCS reading elementsmay be positioned for reading one or more RFID tag(s) and/or one or morebarcodes/optical elements on an item. For example, the stand-alonereader device may include a single actuator that may scan any or all ofthe LF RFID tags, HF RFID tags and UHF RFID tags. In this way, thestand-alone reader device may read any RFID-tagged product regardless ofpoint of entry into the system and without regard to the type of RFIDtag applied to the product, i.e., whether the RFID ID tag is a LF tag,HF tag, UHF tag, the dual frequency tag, or a combination of all threefrequencies, as described herein. In some implementations, as shown inFIGS. 4-6, the stand-alone reader may be or comprise a mobile device,such as a hand-held scanner or an integrated tablet, or a stationarydevice. In some implementations, when the stand-alone device is astationary device, the stand-alone device may also include a detachableelement that is capable of being removed from a stationary base.

In one example, the stand-alone reader may be configured as a hand-helddevice having an LF/HF/UHF scanning element on a first surface and a BCSelement on a second surface, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As anotherexample, the stand-alone reader may be or include a stationary devicehaving a LF/HF/UHF scanning element on one surface (e.g., a bottomsurface as shown in FIG. 5), which may scan RFID tags located about theLF/HF/UHF scanning element and a BCS element, which may scanbarcodes/optical elements readable by the BCS element, such as whenlocated below the BCS reader element as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In a further example, the stand-alone device may be or include a mobiledevice with an optional stand for mounting the mobile stand-alonereader, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG.6, the stand-alone reader may pivot along an axis while mounted tostand.

In further examples, the stand-alone reader may be or include a portabledevice, such as a mobile telephone, as shown in FIG. 7, or an integratedtablet, as shown in FIG. 8.

In another example, the stand-alone reader may be configured as ahand-held device having a LF/HF/UHF scanning element on a first surfaceand a BCS element on a second surface hingedly attached the firstsurface, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 4-9, thestand-alone reader may be configured in various manners, such that theLF, HF, UHF, and BCS reading elements may be positioned for reading oneor more RFID tag(s) and/or one or more barcodes/optical elements on anitem.

In further implementations, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1)may store operating parameters for the stand-alone reader devicespecific to the location at which the stand-alone reader devicecurrently being used. For example, as the stand-alone reader device istransported from one location to another, the inventory managementsystem 140 (FIG. 1) may track a location of the stand-alone readerdevice using a tracking element, such a global positioning system (GPS)device, and transmit a control signal to the stand-alone reader devicebased on such location so as to adjust the operating parameters of thestand-alone reader device accordingly. In some implementations, theoperating parameters may include setting the transmit power level of theRFID signals transmitted by the stand-alone reader device and/or thereceive power level of the signals from the RFID tags received by thestand-alone reader device. For example, in a storage facility, e.g., alarge inventory space, such as a warehouse or the like, the stand-alonereader device may require a high power level sufficient is to scan overfurther distances, whereas when the same stand-alone reader device isused at a personal workstation to read individually tagged products,i.e., scanning one product at a time, the stand-alone reader device mayrequire a low power level in order to not read other tags that may be inthe vicinity of the workstation but not at the workstation.

Other operating parameters may include whether the stand-alone readerdevice generates a notification, such as a visual, audible, or tactilenotification, when the stand-alone reader device successfully scans anRFID tag or a barcode/optical element. In further implementations, thestand-alone reader device may be configured to generate the notificationbased on a location of the stand-alone reader device, such as a visual,audible, or tactile notification. For example, the stand-alone readerdevice may be configured to generate a visual and/or a tactilenotification when being used in a location where an audible notificationmay cause a distraction or may interfere with audible notificationsgenerated by another medical device (e.g., a heart monitor), such aswhen used in an operating room or in a patient room. As another example,the stand-alone reader device may be configured to generate any suitabletype notification when being used in, for example, the storage facility.In this way, if the stand-alone reader device is removed from a givenlocation, the inventory management system 140 (FIG. 1) may adjust theoperating parameters of the stand-alone reader device accordingly.

FIG. 17A illustrates one example implementation of a method for managinginventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a product. Themethod may include receiving first information associated with aplurality of products from a manufacturer 1010. The first informationmay be obtained by scanning an ultra-high frequency (UHF) radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag applied to each of the plurality ofproducts. The method may also include receiving second informationassociated with the plurality of products upon delivery of the pluralityof products to a distributor of the plurality of products 1020. Thesecond information may be obtained by scanning the UHF RFID tag appliedto each of the plurality of products. The method may further includereceiving third information associated with the plurality of productsupon delivery of the plurality of products to a consumer of theplurality of products 1030. The third information may be obtained byscanning the UHF RFID tag applied to each of the plurality of products.The method may also include receiving fourth information associated withrespective ones of the plurality of products 1040. The fourthinformation associated with the respective ones of the plurality ofproducts may be obtained by scanning a LF RFID tag and/or a HF RFID tagapplied to each of the plurality of products. The method may alsoinclude monitoring a state of at least one of the plurality of productsbased on the respective fourth information until a final disposition ofthe at least one of the plurality of products 1050.

FIG. 17B illustrates another example implementation of a method formanaging inventory through the supply chain and lifecycle of a product.The method may include at step 1110 receiving first informationassociated with a product. The first information may be obtained byscanning the first RFID element with a UHF radio frequencyidentification in the RFID tag applied to a product. The productcomprising the RFID tag may also be scanned with a HF or LF radiofrequency. The method may further include at step 1120 storing the firstinformation comprising a unique identification information and a firstcharacteristic information in a database of a system. The method mayalso include at step 1130 receiving second information associated withthe same product. The second information may be obtained by scanning theUHF, HF or LF RFID element in the RFID tag applied to the product, wherethe second information is obtained by scanning a second RFID element inthe RFID tag at a different frequency from scanning the first RFIDelement in the RFID tag. The method may further include at step 1140storing the second information comprising the unique identificationinformation and a second characteristic information in a database of asystem. The method may further include at step 1150 updating and storingthe first information based on the unique identification information andfirst and second characteristic information in the database.

Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware,software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or morecomputer systems or other processing systems. In an aspect of thepresent disclosure, features are directed toward one or more computersystems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. Anexample of such a computer system 1100 is shown in FIG. 18.

Computer system 1100 includes one or more processors, such as processor1104. The processor 1104 is connected to a communication infrastructure1106 (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Varioussoftware implementations are described in terms of this example computersystem. After reading this description, it will become apparent to aperson skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement implementationsof the disclosure using other computer systems and/or architectures.

Computer system 1100 may include a display interface 1102 that forwardsgraphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure1106 (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on a display unit1180. Computer system 1100 also includes a main memory 1108, preferablyrandom access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory1110. The secondary memory 1110 may include, for example, a hard diskdrive 1112, and/or a removable storage drive 1114, representing a floppydisk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a universalserial bus (USB) flash drive, etc. The removable storage drive 1114reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 1118 in awell-known manner. Removable storage unit 1118 represents a floppy disk,magnetic tape, optical disk, USB flash drive etc., which is read by andwritten to removable storage drive 1114. As will be appreciated, theremovable storage unit 1118 includes a computer usable storage mediumhaving stored therein computer software and/or data.

Alternative implementations of the present disclosure may includesecondary memory 1110 and may include other similar devices for allowingcomputer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computersystem 1100. Such devices may include, for example, a removable storageunit 1122 and an interface 1120. Examples of such may include a programcartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video gamedevices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) andassociated socket, and other removable storage units 1122 and interfaces1120, which allow software and data to be transferred from the removablestorage unit 1122 to computer system 1100.

Computer system 1100 may also include a communications interface 1124.Communications interface 1124 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 1100 and external devices. Examples ofcommunications interface 1124 may include a modem, a network interface(such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal ComputerMemory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc.Software and data transferred via communications interface 1124 are inthe form of signals 1128, which may be electronic, electromagnetic,optical or other signals capable of being received by communicationsinterface 1124. These signals 1128 are provided to communicationsinterface 1124 via a communications path (e.g., channel) 1126. This path1126 carries signals 1128 and may be implemented using wire or cable,fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF)link and/or other communications channels. In this document, the terms“computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to refergenerally to media such as a removable storage drive 1118, a hard diskinstalled in hard disk drive 1112, and signals 1128. These computerprogram products provide software to the computer system 1100.Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to such computerprogram products.

Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) arestored in main memory 1108 and/or secondary memory 1110. Computerprograms may also be received via communications interface 1124. Suchcomputer programs, when executed, enable the computer system 1100 toperform the features in accordance with implementations of the presentdisclosure, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs,when executed, enable the processor 1104 to perform the features inaccordance with implementations of the present disclosure. Accordingly,such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system1100.

In an aspect of the present disclosure where the disclosure isimplemented using software, the software may be stored in a computerprogram product and loaded into computer system 1100 using removablestorage drive 1114, hard drive 1112, or communications interface 1120.The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 1104,causes the processor 1104 to perform the functions described herein. Inanother aspect of the present disclosure, the system is implementedprimarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components, such asapplication specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of thehardware state machine so as to perform the functions described hereinwill be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of various example system components, inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 shows acommunication system 500 including one or more accessors 560 (alsoreferred to interchangeably herein as one or more “users”), one or moreterminals 542 and one or more peripheral input devices 566. Terminal 542and peripheral input device 566 can include systems 110, 120, 130 and140, described above, or a related system, and/or the like. In oneaspect, data for use in accordance with aspects described herein may beinput and/or accessed by accessors 560 via terminal 542, or peripheralinput device 566, such as personal computers (PCs), minicomputers,mainframe computers, microcomputers, telephonic devices, orwired/wireless devices, such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”) andRFID readers (e.g., handheld, mobile, cabinets, etc.) coupled to aserver 543, such as a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer,microcomputer, or other device having a processor and a repository fordata and/or connection to a repository for data, via, a network 544 forinstance, such as the Internet or an intranet, and couplings 545, 546,564. The terminal 542 and/or peripheral input device 566 may be used to“register,” add or scan the dual frequency RFID tag to the systems,described above. Further, the terminal 542 peripheral input device 566may be implemented to monitor, remove, add, scan, etc. the dualfrequency RFID tags of the system described above. The couplings 545,546, 564 may include wired, wireless, or fiberoptic links. In anotherexample variation, the method and system in accordance with aspectsdescribed herein operate in a stand-alone environment, such as on asingle terminal.

The aspects discussed herein can also be described and implemented inthe context of computer-readable storage medium storingcomputer-executable instructions. Computer-readable storage mediaincludes computer storage media and communication media, and may be,flash memory drives, digital versatile discs (DVDs), compact discs(CDs), floppy disks, and tape cassettes. Computer-readable storage mediacan include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, modules or otherdata.

While the aspects described herein have been described in conjunctionwith the example aspects outlined above, various alternatives,modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents,whether known or that are or may be presently unforeseen, may becomeapparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art.Accordingly, the example aspects, as set forth above, are intended to beillustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, thedisclosure is intended to embrace all known or later-developedalternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/orsubstantial equivalents.

Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shownherein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with thelanguage of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singularis not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically sostated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functionalequivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughoutthis disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those ofordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by referenceand are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothingdisclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless ofwhether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claimelement is to be construed as a means plus function unless the elementis expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of theprocesses/flowcharts disclosed is an illustration of example approaches.Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific orderor hierarchy in the processes/flowcharts may be rearranged. Further,some features/steps may be combined or omitted. The accompanying methodclaims present elements of the various features/steps in a sample order,and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchypresented.

Further, the word “example” is used herein to mean “serving as anexample, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as“example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise,the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at leastone of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or anycombination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and mayinclude multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically,combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A,B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, Bonly, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where anysuch combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, orC. Nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the publicregardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a memory that stores datafor managing inventory through a supply chain and lifecycle of aproduct; and a processor configured to execute instructions, wherein theinstructions cause the processor to: receive first informationassociated with the product; and receive second information associatedthe product; wherein the first information and the second informationare obtained by scanning, at two different frequencies, a dual-frequencyradio frequency identification (RFID) tag applied to the product.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the two different frequencies comprise atleast two frequencies from the group consisting of a low frequency, ahigh frequency, and an ultra-high frequency.
 3. The system of claim 2,wherein the dual-frequency RFID tag is scanned at the ultra-highfrequency for the first information, and scanned at the low frequency orthe high frequency for the second information.
 4. The system of claim 3,wherein the first information and the second information comprise a sameunique identification information transmitted by two devices to theprocessor.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the two devices comprisetwo separate databases or two separate RFID enabled readers.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a uniqueidentification information and first characteristic information.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the second information comprises the uniqueidentification information and second characteristic information.
 8. Thesystem of claim 7, wherein the first characteristic information and thesecond characteristic information are different characteristicinformation and comprise at least one selected from a group consistingof a description of the product, a time the product is scanned, alocation of the product, and a state of the product.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the dual-frequency RFID tag is configured as a firstRFID element above a second RFID element, a first RFID elementoverlapping a second RFID element, as flag shape comprising two RFIDelements, a rectangular shape comprising two RFID elements, or afoldable flag shape comprising two RFID elements.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein, upon receiving the second information comprisingunique identification information and second characteristic information,updating the first information comprising the unique identificationinformation and a first characteristic information to further comprisethe second characteristic information.
 11. A method, comprising:receiving first information associated with a product; and receivingsecond information associated the product; wherein the first informationand the second information are obtained by scanning, at two differentfrequencies, a dual-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tagapplied to the product.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the twodifferent frequencies comprise at least two frequencies from the groupconsisting of a low frequency, a high frequency, and an ultra-highfrequency.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dual-frequency RFIDtag is scanned at the ultra-high frequency for the first information,and scanned at the low frequency or the high frequency for the secondinformation.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first informationand the second information comprise a same unique identificationinformation transmitted by two devices to the processor.
 15. The methodof claim 14, wherein the two devices comprise two separate databases ortwo separate RFID enabled readers.
 16. The method of claim 11, whereinthe first information comprises a unique identification information andfirst characteristic information.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinthe second information comprises the unique identification informationand second characteristic information.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the first characteristic information and the secondcharacteristic information are different characteristic information andcomprise at least one selected from a group consisting of a descriptionof the product, a time the product is scanned, a location of theproduct, and a state of the product.
 19. The method of claim 11, whereinthe dual-frequency RFID tag is configured as a first RFID element abovea second RFID element, a first RFID element overlapping a second RFIDelement, as flag shape comprising two RFID elements, a rectangular shapecomprising two RFID elements, or a foldable flag shape comprising twoRFID elements.
 20. The method of claim 11, wherein, upon receiving thesecond information comprising unique identification information andsecond characteristic information, updating the first informationcomprising the unique identification information and a firstcharacteristic information to further comprise the second characteristicinformation.